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Salman M Ghazwani,1,2 Haidar M Arishi,3 Nabil S Dhayhi,3 Mohammed O Shami,4 Ibrahim M Gosadi,5 Moutaz Rajab,2,6 Mohammed Badedi,7 Mousa Mobarki,8 Abdulaziz H Alhazmi9 1Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, 45142, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Pediatric Surgery, King Fahad Central Hospital, Jazan, 82666, Saudi Arabia; 3Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, King Fahad Central Hospital, Jazan, 82666, Saudi Arabia; 4Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, 45142, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, 45142, Saudi Arabia; 6Department of General Surgery, Pediatric Surgery Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, 4240310, Egypt; 7Administration of Research and Studies, Jazan Health Affairs, Jazan, 82611, Saudi Arabia; 8Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, 45142, Saudi Arabia; 9Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, 45142, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Abdulaziz H Alhazmi, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, 45142, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966-7-3295000, Email abalhazmi@jazanu.edu.saIntroduction: Basidiobolomycosis is a rare fungal infection caused by Basidiobolus ranarum, and its incidence is poorly understood due to its rarity. Gastrointestinal Basidiobolomycosis (GIB) is an uncommon presentation with limited reports in Saudi Arabia. This retrospective study aims to describe risk factors, clinical findings, diagnosis, and management of GIB in the pediatric population.Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all pediatric patients diagnosed with GIB at a tertiary hospital between 2010 and 2022. Patients were identified based on their diagnosis of GIB. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to assess risk factors associated with GIB.Results: We analyzed 25 cases of pediatric GIB, with approximately half of the cases (56%) occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mean age of affected patients was 6.6 years, with a male predominance (60%, n=15). About 100% of parents acknowledged gecko existence in their residence, and their children were exposed to insect bites. Poor appetite was reported in all patients, and high counts of eosinophils and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were observed. Thrombocytosis was present in approximately 90% of patients, and 87% had anemia. Abdominal computerized tomography scans and ultrasound-guided biopsies were the most used diagnostic tools, with cases being diagnosed based on histopathological findings and confirmed via fungal culture.Conclusion: Our study provides valuable information on the potential risk factors, clinical features, diagnosis, and management of pediatric GIB in the Jazan region. The observed increase in cases during the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for continued surveillance and research to understand better the epidemiology and associated risk factors with this rare fungal infection. These findings emphasize the need for heightened awareness, early detection, and effective prevention strategies to mitigate the impact of pediatric GIB.Keywords: gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis, fungal infection, abdominal mass, voriconazole, Jazan, Saudi Arabia |
